And The Walls Of Safe Haven Come Crumbling Down
by Honor
Summary: AU fifth year fic A Severitus Challenge response. Harry gets some startling news in the summer of his fifth year.
1. Chapter One

Title: And the Walls of Safe Haven Come Crumbling Down Rating: PG-13 (may change) Warnings: Possible future SLASH Disclaimer: They all belong to me! Actually sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter Characters, JKR does, but she's kind enough to let us borrow them for a while, because I'm making no money from them. Notes: A response to the Severitus Challenge. Set in Harry's fifth year.  
  
Chapter One  
  
It was a brilliant moonlit night. The small town in the middle of the Surrey countryside was peaceful. A snowy owl fly over the dark rooftops, searching for one in particular. Appearing to find it, it fluttered through a second story window.  
  
"Hello, Hedwig." whispered Harry Potter, his oversized pyjamas falling off his slim shoulders.  
  
Harry Potter was not your normal 15 year-old boy. For one thing he kept his bedroom perfectly tidy, he did his chores, and never asked for spending money. Another reason was that Harry was a wizard.  
  
Hedwig dropped a large parcel on Harry's bed. A previously unnoticed owl, which was the size and shape of a tennis ball, zoomed twice round the room, circled Harry's head three times for good measure, before adding a letter beside it.  
  
Just as Harry reached for the Letter a large Eagle owl and a horned owl swooped through the window. Both wore leg cuffs with the Hogwarts crest branded on them. They dropped two letters and a parcel, before flying back out the window.  
  
Harry looked at the packages and envelopes unable to decide which to open first. He decided to start with the letter with the Hogwarts seal as it had nothing to do with his birthday.  
  
Dear Mr Potter,  
  
Please note that the new school term begins on September 1st. The Hogwarts Express will leave Kings' Cross station, Platform Nine-and-three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.  
  
You have been appointed fifth-year prefect for Gryffindor. Please find enclosed your book list for the new year and your badge.  
  
Yours Sincerely, Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.  
  
Harry's book list read like this:  
  
The Serpent and the Rainbow: A Guide to Ceromancy by Charmaine Pajeon  
  
Ancient Wisdom Ancient Sects: Botanomancy and other Mantic Arts by Sarai Fontbrune  
  
Visions and Prophecies. Mysteries of the Unknown. By Va Alexandria  
  
The Standard Book of Spells: Grade Five by Miranda Goshawk  
  
Perfidious Potions and Odious Ointments by Aurium Taxotare  
  
The Dark Arts: A Guide to Countering Them by Tristan Da Cuhna  
  
Enchanted Beasts: How to Identify and Care for Them by Galatea Vangelis  
  
Harry groaned. Three new books for Divination? Surely things couldn't get any worse.  
  
Harry turned back to his mail. One of the boxes was from the Weasleys. It contained a lovely jumper in dark green and with, unfortunately, a small pink H on the left chest, a box of fudge, a plug, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, a hidden letter from 'Gred and Forge' thanking him for his investment, a birthday cake and three books. One on passing your OWLs from Hermione, who was staying at the Burrow, one on how to play chess from Ron, and one on top tips for Seekers, from the pair of them.  
  
He picked up the other package and opened it carefully. In side was a box. A box with air holes. Thinking the package was from Hagrid, Harry began to worry. Hagrid was known for his taste in dangerous pets, although he thought they were perfectly harmless. Harry opened the box carefully. There coiled inside was a small snake, about 12 inches long. It was olive-red with blue blotches along its back and horns on its head. Harry, who had been reading up on snakes in the past two years since discovering he was a Parselmouth, recognised it easily as a baby African Rhinoceros Viper. He looked at the letter that went with it only to find that it wasn't from Hagrid at all.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Said the letter in a script that Harry was sure he should recognize but couldn't for the life of him figure out who it belonged to.  
  
The time has come for you to know the truth.  
  
Harry frowned. This did not sound promising.  
  
Your mother was not, as rumour commonly had it, dating James Potter at school. In truth, she and I had been friends since first year and sweethearts since our fourth year, despite our house rivalry.  
  
When I agreed to become a spy for Dumbledore amongst the Death Eaters, my beautiful fiancée, a Muggleborn, was put in danger. By all public appearances, she broke our engagement and married James Potter. Privately, we continued our relationship. In time she fell pregnant and gave birth to a marvellous son, whom we named Hartreves Severus Snape, or Harry for short, and filed two birth certificates, one for him and one or Harry James Potter. Despite what you may believe, I do not despise you, merely the fact that I am forced to hide the truth about you and treat you with contempt.  
  
I must act as though I hate the boy who defeated my Master and favour the children of other Death Eaters, to prevent my position as double agent from being discovered. Know that I love you, and would be proud to tell the world that you are my son, if there were not a war for the fate of the planet going on at this moment.  
  
The reason for this letter is this. Lily placed charms on you to make you look like James Potter. Tonight they will begin to fade, and by the time term starts, will have disappeared completely. A week from now you will be collected from the Dursley household and brought to Hogwarts, where you will remain for the rest of the summer, and the charms will be reapplied before term starts.  
  
Your father, Professor Severus Kaspar Snape.  
  
P.S. Happy Birthday. Enjoy talking to your new friend.  
  
Harry's mind whirled as he thought of all the letter contained. Snape was his father? Knowing he would not sleep well, but determined to try, he laid his head upon the pillow and pulled the covers round himself. As he dropped off to sleep thoughts of Sirius's reaction flitted vaguely through his mind  
  
TBC.  
  
A/N The Serpent and the Rainbow is a divination text written by Wade Davis, Ancient Wisdom, Ancient Sects: Mysteries of the Unknown is written by Va Alexandria in real life, and Visions and Prophecies: Mysteries of the Unknown by Va Alexandria is also a real divination text. You'll find out what Ceromancy and Botanomancy are later, just like Harry. 


	2. Chapter Two

Title: And the Walls of Safe Haven Come Crumbling Down

Rating: PG-13 

Warnings: This chapter contains hints of pre-SLASH. 

Disclaimer: They all belong to me! Actually sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter Characters, JKR does, but she's kind enough to let us borrow them for a while, because I'm making no money from them.

§ … § is Parseltongue

Chapter Two

Harry woke up quite early the next morning – early enough that Aunt Petunia hadn't unlocked his bedroom door. He lay in bed for a moment, relishing the luxury, when he suddenly noticed that his birthday cards and presents were scattered over the floor. A quiet hiss told him that his new friend was awake.   
  
§ Hello there. Do you have a name? § Harry studied the snake, and was studied in return as the baby African Rhinoceros Viper rose up to his eye level.  
  
§ The other one of your kind called me Nyissuss. You may call me what you wish. § Harry was startled as Nyissuss, apparently deciding that was the end of the conversation, slithered up Harry's sleeve and wrapped himself around Harry's waist.  
  
Moving carefully, so as not to disturb the snake, Harry looked at all his presents again. Rolling his eyes at the postscript on the letter from 'Gred and Forge', Harry put everything under the floorboard.   
  
Running a hand through his hair, Harry frowned. His hair was…….wrong. Looking in the mirror he gasped. Staring back at him from the cracked, speckled mirror was a boy, a boy with hair that wasn't messy, merely slightly kinked, and long, down to the middle of his ears. Suddenly the letter that had accompanied Nyissuss sprung into his mind. _At least now I know Professor Snape hasn't gone completely insane. _He thought. _But this…this is going to take some adjusting to. Harry hoped he'd see his father in private before the first potions class of the year, because he wasn't quite sure what would happen.  
  
Harry was still thinking about this as he got dressed, and Aunt Petunia looked a bit put out that she hadn't been able to wake him up and call him lazy and idle and such.  
  
She merely sniffed and said "Go and make the breakfast. Make sure Dudley gets something nice to make up for his allergies."_

  
Making sure that none of the disdain he felt showed on his face, Harry headed for the kitchen.  
  
Dudley had gone for 'allergy testing' on the suggestion of one of Aunt Petunia's friends. Apparently Dudley had an intolerance of gluten, yeast, peppers, citrus fruit and lactose. According to the testers, as long as Dudley didn't eat anything containing cow's milk or the other things on the list, he'd feel much better and lose weight. Dudley didn't really care one way or the other, but as Aunt Petunia bought him biscuits and bread made from gluten-free flour and soya milk, and soya ice-cream, he stuck to it, since it was better than some of the other diets he'd been put on, and he was, surprisingly, actually losing weight. Harry thought it likely that he'd be given a 'treat' and put back on again by next summer though. Dudley wasn't actually allergic to anything on the list – if he had been, he'd have been dead by now – but Aunt Petunia insisted on calling them allergies.

  
Harry made a large saucepan of porridge as he did almost every day, what with oats being gluten-free, and mixed in sliced bananas, chopped dried apricots, and brown sugar. He placed the pot on the table, with three bowls, four spoons, a ladle, and a small dish, like the ones they put individual desserts in at the supermarket. He made a pot of tea for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, and poured a large glass of chocolate-flavored soya milk for Dudley. For himself he got a small glass of water from the tap. He got the newspaper and placed it next He stood back to wait for the rush.  
  
Dudley thudded down the stairs like a herd of enraged elephants, Aunt Petunia gave him suspicious looks, and Uncle Vernon ignored him and picked up the newspaper. Having dished everyone else's up, Aunt Petunia picked up the small dish. She ladled some porridge out trying very hard to make sure Harry didn't get any of the fruit. She didn't succeed very well, since Harry had put a lot in, knowing that he'd be accused of trying to starve Dudley if he didn't.  
  


"Eat it quickly. You will weed the garden, mow the lawn and go shopping. After lunch you'll do your normal chores." She eyed Harry's hair. "I see you've finally decided to make yourself presentable. Stop at the barber's and get it tidied up or something. Here." Aunt Petunia placed some crumpled notes on the table. "Well, get on with it!"  
  


˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜

Standing outside the barber's shop with hands full of shopping bags, Harry glanced at the door with trepidation. It was silly, really. The idea of walking through that door scared him more than the Tri-Wizard Tournament, well; right up until…Harry stopped that thought before it started. Pushing open the door, he stepped inside.   
  
It had been a long time since Harry had been to the barber's, four years in fact. The barber had obviously taken on an assistant, for a young-looking man with short blond hair wearing an apron was walking up to Harry with something material in his hand.   
  
"Hello there, I'm Marc. Put this on. Now then, what are you here for?"  
  
Harry blinked. "Could you tidy it up a bit, please?"  Harry was led over to the sink and his mind drifted as his hair was washed, tuning out Marc's voice, until a chance comment caught his ear.   
  


"…you're hair is really fine, it'll be very flyaway or greasy if you're not careful, and these natural highlights are gorgeous."  
  


"Pardon?" Harry was fairly certain that he hadn't had highlights that morning.  
  


"Your hair has these lovely red streaks. We charge customers £15 to add streaks like these. I'm using a henna wash so they'll stand out more. …. Now, into the other chair." Time seemed to fly by and all too soon Harry found himself staring at his new look, with curtains of black hair framing his face. The red streaks here and there gave Harry a tangible connection to his mother and he felt a lump form in his throat. Turning away from the mirror, he spoke hurriedly.  
  


"Thank you. How much do I owe you?"

  
Marc smiled and took a fiver from Harry, who was left with the suspicion he'd been undercharged.   
  


"There you go. Bet this new look will have people swooning at your feet, eh?" Marc winked at Harry, and Harry, who was very embarrassed and trying to find something to say, was incredibly relieved when the barber, noticing Marc not working, came to his rescue.  
  
"Marc, stop flirting with the poor lad and get back to work. Don't worry about Marc, lad. He's harmless, flirts with anything on two legs."  
  
"I do not!" Marc called back. He winked at Harry again. "Only the good-looking male ones." Blushing, Harry made his way back to number 4, Privet Drive.

˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜

After putting all the shopping away, Harry realized that the house was extremely quiet. Thinking this was odd, he walked into the front room and found out why.  
  
Dudley was standing in the middle of a circle of destruction, looking for all the world as though he'd been hit with Petrificus Totalus, while Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were hiding, or rather cowering, in the corner furthest from the door. Harry suspected that was the only reason they were still in the room. All the evidence pointed to one thing, but Harry found it hard to believe. Had Dudley **really had an outburst of accidental magic?**

Harry didn't find it so difficult to believe when two minutes later a brown owl swooped through one of the shattered windows and settled on the back of the sofa. Harry took the letter from it. It was from the Ministry of Magic. It was almost identical to the one he had received in second year.  
  


"Could you wait, please?" Harry asked, and the owl, who had just taken off, wheeled above his head, seemingly consideribg. "I need to send a letter to Professor Albus Dumbledore." That apparantly was that for the wl settled on the mantelpiece and waited for him to hand over the letter.  
  
Harry was glad, because he'd sent Hedwig to the Burrow in case she got starved, and he didn't know when she'd be back.  
  
Harry grabbed the pen kept next to the phone for messages, and scribbled a note in the gaps of the letter from the ministry. The result was something like:  
  
"Dear Mr Potter:                     Professor Dumbledore,

                             † It was my cousin, sir.  
There was an incident on 01/08/1995 at 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, of magic use in front of muggles, contravening the …"   
  
"Here. Take it to Professor Dumbledore, please. This is urgent." Harry watched the owl fly off. Then he started cleaning up the debris covering the room. It was better to do it before Uncle Vernon started shouting.

TBC.

  
  


Well hope this satisfies everyone. My apologies to the people who got mad the first time round thinking I was misrepresenting celiac disease, that wasn't my intention and I hope I made things clearer. Celiac disease is a severe allergic condition where even a single bite of bread made with flour containing gluten such as wheat could kill the person it affects.

   
  


I also want to thank those people since by taking the chapter down to remedy that, I think I made the rest of the chapter and story better.   
  
My apologies for taking so long on the rewrite, I'm glad all you people reviewed. Feel free to review as I welcome feedback including critisism, but it by no means necessary for my writing. 

See you around some time.  
honor


	3. Chapter Three

Title: And the Walls of Safe Haven Come Crumbling Down  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Warnings: None for this chapter, but Harry will at the least be attracted to male characters by the end of the fic, so if Slash offends you either clear out now or don't complain when it turns slashy. Flames will be used to keep my feet warm while I type.  
  
Disclaimer: They all belong to me! Actually sadly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter Characters, because if I did OotP would *not* have turned out the way it did. The only profit I get from this is the warm feeling reviews give me. And I don't know why I'm typing this, since no one reads reviews any way.  
  
§ ... § Is Parseltongue *.... * Is emphasis  
  
Chapter Three  
  
It was about one in the afternoon, when a knock at the front door disturbed Harry from his Potions homework. He was somewhat bemused when, looking down at the book, he realised he was on a potion to improve the eyesight, and he walked downstairs to open the door with the book firmly in hand. A familiar voice greeted him as he opened the door.  
  
"Well, well, Mr Potter. Studying? This is a surprise."  
  
Looking up, Harry saw the man who had only the night before revealed himself to be Harry's father.  
  
"Hello, Professor." He said, closing his Potions book so that Snape could see what he'd been studying. He was rewarded with a surprised raising of an eyebrow, which was something, he supposed.  
  
"In any case, Po-...*Harry*.... I am here about the letter you sent to the headmaster."  
  
"Good." Harry then walked into the living room. The Dursleys hadn't moved, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were still in the corner. And Dudley, he was still standing in the centre of the room, which was fairly neat and tidy, if you overlooked the broken TV in the corner, the glass-less windows, and the funny patch over the mantelpiece where the mirror used to be.  
  
"Dudley made everything explode." Harry explained needlessly. "I wasn't even in the house at the time."  
  
"And why not? Thought you'd go gallivanting off enjoying yourself, regardless of the protection put in place for you?" Snape sneered .  
  
"Actually, my aunt asked me to get some shopping for her. I also stopped to get my haircut. You see, it grew for the first time in years overnight." Harry glared at Snape.  
  
Snape however, was ignoring him, and was busy prodding Dudley and muttering under his breath. Harry decided this meant his presence was no longer necessary, and went back to his homework.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"This is connected to the matter I mentioned in my letter."  
  
"Huh...What?" Harry looked up at Professor Snape. "Could you repeat that please?"  
  
"I *said* , this is connected to your mother somehow."  
  
This seemed to bring Aunt Petunia back to life.  
  
"I knew it." She screeched shrilly. "I knew she'd done something. Coming to visit when she knew she wasn't welcome. She did something freaky to my poor Duddikins."  
  
"Hardly, Madame." Snape said in the tone of voice he usually directed at Harry and Neville. "Indeed, what Lily seems primarily to have done was to prevent the child from showing any signs of wizardry, and, had the spell lasted through his eighteenth birthday, he would have lost his magic. Which is why," he said, turning to Harry "That charm is classified as a Dark Art, even though it is, by being a charm rather than a hex, a Light spell."  
  
"Why?... Oh, wait, if someone cast it on all the Muggleborns at Hogwarts or on the children of out-of-favour Death Eaters... If Malfoy thought there was a risk of his heir becoming a Squib...Does Voldemort know of this...spell?"  
  
Snape nodded approvingly. "No, he does not. And of all the Death Eaters, Lucius is the only one likely have knowledge of it. The others wouldn't bother researching ancient Light spells even if they *are* forbidden, and Lucius is, as you suggested, intelligent enough not to hand the Dark Lord a weapon that could easily be turned against him. His loyalty to his family name come second to nothing, not even the Dark Lord."  
  
Snape gave Harry a piercing look, quite different to his usual glares. "Most Gryffindors would only have thought of the threat to Muggleborns - even Granger. The other was...very Slytherin."  
  
Harry realised this was as close to a 'Well Done' as he was going to get from Snape, for the moment at least. "The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin." He offered. "It said I'd do well in any of the Houses, but it really wanted me in Slytherin."  
  
"And I suppose you told it to put you in Gryffindor, "Snape said sourly. "Slytherin not good enough for you."  
  
"It wasn't that," said Harry hurriedly. "But Malfoy had already been sorted into Slytherin, and he'd been an arse on the train, and Hagrid had already told me that Voldemort had been a Slytherin, and he was wrong about the next bit, when he said not a witch or wizard went bad that wasn't in Slytherin, but I didn't know that until third year." Harry took a deep breath and frowned. "I've often wondered about that actually. I mean, Sirius was a Gryffindor, and Hagrid thought he'd gone dark so... any way, I just sat there with the Hat on chanting 'Not Slytherin...Not Slytherin' and the Hat went 'Well if you're sure, better be Gryffindor!' I didn't *choose* Gryffindor, the Hat did. It just wasn't the Hat's first choice."  
  
Harry stayed silent while Snape looked him over carefully. Growing increasingly uncomfortable under the assessing stare, he changed the subject. "What's going to happen with Dudley?"  
  
"Hmmm...What? Oh...your cousin will attend Hogwarts as a first year. To that end, I will require your Potions equipment set up in the kitchen."  
  
"Could you unlock the cupboard sir? By the way what are you making, and what does it have to do with Dudley?"  
  
"*We*, although you will mainly be preparing ingredients, will be preparing a combination weight-loss/youthening potion that would react badly to each other and only de-age your cousin four years. Set up your equipment. We will be using several items from your kit, plus some from my stores. Line them up as I call them out if you have them, then I will go collect the ones you are missing. Elicampane roots, Asparagus roots, Asphodel, Cinnamon, Mace, Sassafras wood and bark, Wormwood, Mallows, Dittany, Birds- foot, Cat's-foot, Adders tongue, Duck's-meat, Hemlock, Beetle eyes, Dragon's blood, both real and herb, Firefly wings, Acromantula silk, and a bezoar. Start the preparations. Grind the cinnamon to a fine powder then mash the elicampane and mix together to form a paste. Then slice the Duck's- meat and finely dice the Adders tongue."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"...Let it simmer for 10 hours. It would seem, Potter, that you are not *entirely* incompetent when it comes to Potions after all."  
  
"No Professor. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle throw things in my cauldron when your back is turned. Do you think they've moved yet?" Harry asked, meaning the Dursleys. Snape turned in his chair and looked towards the living room.  
  
"Probably not. You can call me Severus Harry. In private."  
  
"Yes si-Severus. Does Professor Dumbledore know about your letter?"  
  
Severus frowned. "No. I wasn't supposed to tell you. His reasons for this are as unconvincing as the ones he gives for why you have to come here each summer instead of staying at the school. On this, however, I defied him. When I turned spy for the Light I merely exchanged one Master for another." He shot a warning glance at Harry. "That is not to be shared with your little circle of confidants, Harry."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it. To tell the truth, my thoughts have travelled a similar path on more than one occasion, but if I were to even breath a hint of this in the direction of Ron or my godfather, they'd act as though I'd said I was a Death Eater. What house was the headmaster in?" Harry frowned. "If it wasn't Slytherin, he fooled the hat as I did."  
  
"With you it was less intention and more pure luck, but I see your point."  
  
"No, I don't think you do, actually." Harry scowled at the potion they were brewing. "I admit the meetings with Malfoy and Hermione couldn't be planned, but I bet Hagrid was asked to ... dissuade me...from Slytherin, maybe Mr Weasley had it suggested that Ron befriend me. Things, might have turned out quite differently I wasn't the 'Gryffindor Golden Boy'. I wouldn't have been made a seeker in first year, so I wouldn't have been able to get past the dragon during the Tri-wizard tournament, assuming I made it to fourth year, that is."  
  
"So your days of believing the Headmaster can do no wrong are finally over, are they? It was quite sickening to watch him manipulate you with smiling, nodding your head and going along amiably." Severus sneered.  
  
Harry grinned lopsidedly. "My opinion of our *esteemed Headmaster*," Harry sneered, "took a beating long before the time I realised you weren't such a greasy git as we made you out to be." Harry's voice turned teasing as he reached the middle of the sentence. "Which," he said seriously, "Was round about third year, if you're interested."  
  
Severus seemed slightly taken aback, so Harry changed the subject. "Since the potion will take another nine hours and ..." He checked his watch. "Forty- five minutes, can I take a nap? After all, we've been brewing this thing for the past four and a half hours, and you'll be able counteract any problems easier without my interference."  
  
"Go ahead, but I hope you realise that had you been brewing this alone you would of necessity stayed up the full 18 hours required for brewing this potion. I will wake you later if I require your assistance. Which is your room?"  
  
"The one with the padlocks," Harry said offhandedly, "Good night si-Sev."  
  
"Do not call me that if you value your life. Harry, the headmaster managed to link the wards around this place linked to the ones at Hogwarts. While they can still monitor unauthorised entry, any magic taking place within the structure will register as Hogwarts on the Ministry's sensors. I believe the headmaster thinks the use of your magic this summer will make up for not allowing you to visit the Weasleys."  
  
"Yes sir." Harry turned and walked up the stairs, so he didn't see Severus Snape get up to make a cup of tea. If he had, he would have seen the Potions Master frowning, and muttering "Padlocks!" in a disgusted tone of voice, all the while running a fingertip over the vials attached to his belt. Stopping on a small vial full of a colourless liquid, clearly labelled '16/05/95 S.K.Snape Veritaserum'.  
  
TBC...  
  
Authors Note: Now you all know how Dudley going to Hogwarts, but I want good reasons for what house he'll be in, since I do not as yet have a clue where he'll end up, and I don't want to place him in Slytherin or wherever simply by default. Any ideas placed in reviews are welcomed as I do it all the time and the plotbunnies they produced don't have painful bites.  
  
Now thanks to all my lovely reviewers, especially CrazycheeseCake who prompted my rewrite in the first place although when I told her that she reread her review then promptly apologised for flaming! N1c0l3, headncloud, Jaded Angel8 - thank you, heres your update, stonecoldfox - Yes Marc is a sweetie, but I don't think he'll show up again unless somewhere down the line he hijacks the story, sorry, lillinfields - I'm not quite sure why you think I'm going to kill Dudley ^_^' but thanks for the review. Any one I missed, I hope this pleases you lot too.  
  
Ja ne, Honor 


End file.
